Iron
by SaturnXK
Summary: Hibari does not understand. He has never viewed Dino as his teacher, never saw him as anything other than a useless klutz or, depending on the days, a worthy opponent. But Dino is gone, now, and Hibari isn't sure what to feel. – Oneshot.


**Future fic; not necessarily ten years into the future. **

**Warning: character death**

* * *

He knows this will happen. He knows that it is inevitable. But he is not prepared. He is not ready. He does not even want to think about it. But it sneaks up on him, this pain, and this anger. The fury (he has never really felt _furious _before) wraps its flaming arms around his chest, and clenches and squeezes and tightens until he cannot breathe anymore.

He hears about it on his way to the Vongola headquarters. The car is silent; he does not listen to music, because then it may mask the noise of an attack. He can only hear the sounds of rustling fabric and the occasional shift in gear. And then the phone rings.

Slanted grey eyes flicker down, and though he knows that he should never answer a call while driving, he does not care.

"Sawada, what is it?"

Tsuna's voice is not what he expected. For the first time in a long while, the Vongola boss sounds scared.

"Hibari-san?"

"Speaking."

There is a pause on the other side. Hibari can picture Tsuna swallowing. "Something happened with Dino-san."

Hibari freezes, and it is a testament to his driving skills that he does not crash. He unsticks his vocal chords–why is his throat closing up?–and tries to stay calm. "Well?"

"There was a shoot-out just north of the base. Dino-san was trying to protect some civilians. He got hit. He's still alive, but in critical condition. We're not sure if he's going to–"

"Where?"

"Hospital."

Hibari knows what hospital. It is one run by the Vongola and Cavallone Mafia. Dino was the one who suggested it.

"I'm coming."

The phone is switched off, and Hibari steps on the pedal. He prays that he will get there in time.

* * *

His footsteps are pounding down the hallway. His breath is loud to his ears. He rushes to the emergency room. There is something wrong with his head; it is empty and fuzzy, but also flashing with images of his past tutor. He did not know that Dino made such an impression on him.

He rounds the corner and is met with the sight of people (_too many people but it doesn't matter as long as the irresponsible horse is okay please please please be okay_) who look up as he arrives.

"Hibari-san." Tsuna is the one who greets him. His face is pale. His eyes are drawn. His hands are shaking. Leaning against the wall is Gokudera, whose arms are crossed and chewing on a piece of gum. Yamamoto and Sasugawa sit side by side, elbows resting on knees, heads bowed. Romario is pacing up and down, and already Hibari wants to slash him to pieces for being so annoying.

Hibari eyes the closed emergency doors and wonders if he can just smash his way through. Dino is just a few metres away and there is nothing but a stupid wall between them.

"Don't," Tsuna says, sensing his thoughts. "We have to let the doctors work on him."

Hibari grits his teeth. "Where did the bullet enter?"

"Middle of the back." It is Yamamoto who answers this time. He does not look up, and nothing moves except for his mouth. "Apparently it hit his spine."

Suddenly, his airway is not working anymore.

He is moving before he knows it. Stalking to the doors, Hibari is about to slam a hand against them before someone grabs the back of his jacket and pulls him away.

"No, Hibari-san!" Romario cries. Gokudera jumps up to help, and they both drag him to the opposite wall.

"Idiot," Gokudera snarls. "You're not the only one who cares about him. Think about Tenth!"

"Let me go," Hibari growls back. "I'll bite you to death!"

But their scuffle is interrupted when one of the doctors appear. Prim and white and spotless, he does not look as if he had just emerged from an operation. He looks too _clean_.

But Hibari is staring at his face. The doctor's face is long and full of sorrow. Hibari does not want to hear what he has to say.

"I'm sorry," the doctor murmurs. "He's gone."

_He's gone._

The words echo in Hibari's mind. But he is not disbelieved; he is angry.

"_Sorry_?" Hibari hisses. "What do you mean _sorry_? You get your ass back in there and fix him up! Now!"

The doctor does not move. He just gives Hibari a look of pity, as if he has been through this process before. "I'm sorry."

Hibari lunges at the doctor (_stupid man in a stupid coat _how dare he _just leave Dino to die?!)_ before Yamamoto intercepts him and Tsuna calls out a sharp word.

* * *

Hibari does not see Dino's body. No one presses him to.

He does not attend Dino's funeral. No one asks why.

Because there is a small part of him that refuses to accept the fact that Dino is dead. And everyone knows that.

"I don't understand," Hibari says aloud to himself.

"What don't you understand?"

Hibari glances to his right. Lying there, on the top of his beloved Namimori school rooftop, is Tsuna. The two of them left Italy a week ago to go home to Japan. The other guardians have accompanied Tsuna, but the rest know that both he and Hibari need their alone time. Tsuna is still wary of Hibari, yes, and respects his limitless power, but he is no longer really _scared _of the Cloud guardian. He has changed, and Hibari has changed, too. Once upon a time, he would never have let Tsuna sit next to him on a rooftop.

"I have never thought of Dino as my teacher," Hibari mutters. "So why does it…?"

"Hurt?" Tsuna offers.

"No." Hibari shoots him a dirty look. 'Hurt' sounds too weak. "I meant… vacant."

"Because he was more than your teacher," Tsuna says. His voice is dull and lifeless and sad. Hibari does not know what to do, because it is not in his nature to comfort people, and besides, his whole body feels like it is going to burst because of anger (_it is painful and it aches and Hibari misses him _so much).

"Wrong," Hibari spits. "He was a herbivore and a useless klutz." His fist crashes onto the concrete. "He was too dumb to die. He wasn't _supposed _to die."

Tsuna does not answer. The young Vongola has grown up a lot in the past fifteen years. He is now twenty-nine, full of maturity, and sometimes even ruthlessness as the Boss of the strongest Mafia family. He is still human.

"He was your friend. He was my big brother."

"He was an idiot." (_He was my first mentor._)

"He cared too much for civilians."

"He was too stupid to live." (_But he wasn't supposed to die, either._)

Hibari rolls over onto his side, teeth sinking into his tongue so that Tsuna does not hear his crying. Because Hibari does not cry. He has not cried for over twenty-five years.

Blood fills his mouth as his canines broke through flesh.

His tears taste like iron.

* * *

**How was it?**

**So, since I am relatively new to KHR! fanfiction, may someone please explain to me what this is? *Look down below***

**D18 – I've figured out that it is Dino x Hibari, but why '18'?**

**6918**

**18x18**

**1827**

**D59**

**1827**

**6996**

**R27**

**8059**

**1869**

**Gah! There are so many number ~.~ There are probably more, but please explain these ones! I know they're pairings (at least... I think they are) but I don't know who they're supposed to symbolize. Thank you!**

**Edit: I think I've got the pairing numbers now. Thanks to all who helped :)**


End file.
